Schwäne Zwei
by ElfGrove
Summary: 5 years after Drosselmeyer's defeat, Autor sets alone out to finish writing the last unresolved story of Kinkan Town, "Two Swans". Why is Autor writing it? And where is Fakir? A little post-series. A little AU.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

A few of you may recognize this story title from deviantART. Yes, I am the same ElfGrove who wrote that doujin. It's become obvious by now that there is no way in double-hockey-sticks that I will finish "Schwäne Zwei"in the original comic form that I started it as. However, I've gotten enough noise that I feel like I ought to finish the story, and I would really like to finish telling it myself. Thusly, I'm putting it out as a fanfic. Chapters will be short to accommodate certain scene/perspective shifts that originally hinged on the comic format.

Anything written in **bold** that is not specifically the title of the current chapter, should be taken as text written on a page. (This distinction will become important as the story gets going.)

This is a post-anime story. Spoilers abound.

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**Schwäne Zwei**

**Chapter 1: Prologue **

**Once upon a time, there was a man and a duck**

The letters on the yellowed and ink-splotched page were mostly scratched out with angry marks of a quill. Only the words, "once upon a time" had been left unmarred. The singular abused page hung on the wall, the first line of the first story Fakir had tried to write after the fall of the Monster Raven and the release of Kinkan Town, no--of Nördlingen from Herr Drosselmeyer's machinations. It was a testament of how far they had come in five years and how much work they had done. It had also been a promise. The promised last story that they would write. The final tale of the Drosselmeyer lineage.

_Looking back on the time before the defeat of the Monster Raven, I think I understand them better now. I couldn't fully appreciate what they did, or what they were going through at that time. Ahiru's determination. Fakir's hesitation. Rue's desperate love. Siegfried's strength. Those things I couldn't understand while they were happening, actions that seemed to be foolishness and weakness five years ago, are so different viewed in retrospect. Knowing the full story of everything that was happening then._

_It is so much more difficult than I gave him credit for._

Autor hesitated next to the worn oak desk with its stack of parchment, his hand resting on the innocuous-looking cover page to a manuscript. The inkwell was full and waiting, an unusually large raven feather made the quill that rested in the ink. Everything was waiting, for him.

_Now I'm the one hesitating._

He and Fakir had spent five long years perfecting their story-spinning. Long nights and days, correcting inconsistencies, writing the stories of everyone that had been touched by Kinkan Town. It had taken the better part of five years to repair the damage Drosselmeyer had wrought. They were both so much stronger now. So unimaginably stronger. Fakir's power would almost certainly have rivaled Drosselmeyer himself now, but Fakir could not write any more.

_Hesitating, for far too long._

"He left it to me. To finish the last story when he could no longer write it." Autor spoke aloud to the empty room he had shared with his cousin for so long, "They deserve a happy ending. More than any one, those two do."

He had dreaded taking over this story. Putting it off for weeks after Fakir had been rendered incapable of continuing it. Of all the stories they had written together, Autor was the most afraid of bearing the responsibility for the outcome of the final story.

However, Autor felt the steel slide into his backbone at last. It wasn't going to become any less intimidating if he waited. He took his seat at the oak desk, a replica of the original Drosselmeyer's desk, and felt nervous sweat bead his brow.

"I've made them wait long enough," Autor finally picked up his quill and started removing the already completed pages, starting with the cover sheet.

**Schwäne Zwei**

**Two Swans**

**By:**

**Fakir Von Drosselmeyer**

**Autor Von Drosselmeyer**

Gather round now children, let me tell you a story.


	2. Chapter 2: The Princes

Many, many thanks to EarthStar-chan and Asatira for acting as my betas. We'll likely need the quality control as the story continues.

**Notes:** In case anyone forgot, Mytho's true name was Siegfried. He recalled it in the final episodes. Also, according to an official DVD insert Itoh-sensei and the rest of the PT crew were referring to Fakir as "The Black Prince" before they actually named him Fakir.

A quick reminder, anything written in **bold** that is not specifically the title of the current chapter, should be taken as text written on a page.

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**  
Schwäne Zwei**

**Chapter 2: The Princes**

**  
Once upon a time, ****In the kingdom of Kinkan, there were two princes.**

**The elder, Siegfried, was the crown prince, and destined for the throne. His kind demeanor and gentle nature were known far and wide. He had perpetually young features, and an easy smile. Many maidens from the kingdom, as well as princesses from neighboring kingdoms, were in love with the "White Prince."**

**The younger prince, Fakir, was trained in the ways of warfare. Because Siegfried was destined for the throne, Fakir was destined to be the leader of the country's armies. To work in defense of his brother and his kingdom. A duty he set himself ****to ****diligently. He had a very serious nature, when coupled with his tall frame and dark features, intimidated any ladies that came to the court.**

**The difference between the brothers ****was even more noticeable when ****t****he ****"****Black Prince" stood next to his bright and charming brother.**

Siegfried laughed softly as he stepped up next to Fakir. His pale blue robes embroidered with gold. Combined with his white shirt, the prince's pale hair seem even lighter than usual. Pale brown eyes sparkled with mirth beneath the golden coronet of the crown prince of Kinkan.

Fakir crossed his arms over the dark blue robes and black tunic embroidered with silver, the color scheme that he favored in an intentional contrast to his brother. His long dark green hair was kept mostly out of his face by the silver circlet that marked him as a member of the royal family. He snorted briefly at Siegfried's giggle and narrowed emerald eyes at the women retreating down the hallway. Their exit was unfortunately slowed by the absurd amounts of lace, silks and petticoats that were currently in fashion.

"If they didn't feel the necessity to wear twenty pounds of frippery a piece, they could relieve themselves of my unhappy presence even faster."

"Fakir," Siegfried chided.

"They can barely fit down the hallway walking three abreast. Perhaps I should get a sheepdog to help them manage their way about. It would have more sense than the entire--"

"You really should try to present a more cheerful expression Fakir." Siegfried cut him off sharply without raising the volume of his voice. "Come."

Fakir's frown deepened, but he followed his brother down the hall and out onto one of the large balconies of the palace without voicing complaint. Siegfried leaned against the railing for a long few minutes, staring out over the rolling countryside and the deep forest that began a score of miles east of the castle then extended all the way to the mountains that bordered that side of the kingdom.

Fakir stood rigid for a few moments, but then joined his brother at the railing. He leaned heavily on the banister and watched the comings and goings of the people on the roads nearest the castle. His eyes traced as people passed through the gates of the castle walls and tracked as they came out the other side. No one simply appeared at one side or the other, or changed as they passed through. They simply passed through, and he found something comforting in the simple order and continuity of the mundane event of people passing through the open gates of the siege walls. Just as they had done every single day of his life, and would continue to do long into the unknown future.

Siegfried broke the silence to turn and watch his younger brother, half smiling as he spoke, "You frighten some of the more delicate ladies sometimes, Fakir. How will you ever fall in love if everyone but the soldiers, Father, and I are terrified to come near you?"

Fakir sighed deeply and turned, still resting most of his weight on the banister as he propped himself up by the elbows, "I don't want any of those girls, Siegfried."

Siegfried kept his smile and shook his head gently, "You do not know any of them. You have not given them a chance, brother."

"I think sometimes," Fakir sighed deeply and slid his eyes back to the comforting sight of people passing through the gates. "I think there already is a girl I love. I just, haven't found her... again yet... But I'll know her when I do."

Siegfried snorted out a laugh. "Really Fakir, I never thought you would be such a--"

"So, I won't waste my time with these featherbrained clotheshorses the way you do." Fakir bit the words out a little more harshly than he had intended.

"Fakir. You should," Siegfried's face was serious and concerned when Fakir looked back up to meet his brother's gaze. "Father set an ultimatum this morning. At the ball this Winter Solstice, we each must choose a fiancé."

Fakir jerked upright, and he felt his face contort with the white hot anger that suddenly flashed through him. "Both of us?! Why me? I'm not crown prince! I shouldn't have to worry about getting married or producing heirs!"

"I," Siegfried hesitated for a long few beats. "Father worries about you. We both do. You're so…"

"So 'what', Siegfried? What have I done that has not met every expectation that Father should have for me? How have I been found lacking?"

"It's not like that. We just don't want to see you spend your entire life alone, Fakir."

"That damned old man!"

"Fakir!"

The younger prince ignored his elder brother's words, and stormed through the arched doorway and back inside the castle.

Siegfried stood alone on the balcony for an endless seeming minute as he stared after his brother. "That could have gone better."

A few minutes later Siegfried's swift paces down the ornate hallway caught up to Fakir, concern lacing his voice, "Where are you going?"

Fakir paused, refusing to turn to look at his brother, not trusting his rein in his anger to stop him from lashing out with actions or words he might regret later. "Out hunting. I need to think. I will be back soon enough."

"Be safe, brother."

"I'm not so weak as you seem to think."

---

Somewhere from the darkness, a voice could be heard, "I'm sorry Fakir, but there has to be some crisis on your part to move the story forward."


	3. Chapter 3: Two Swans

Many, many thanks to EarthStarChan and Asatira for acting as my betas. I _REALLY_ need the quality control these two lovely ladies provide, and there was a lot of editing for them to do this time. Thank you.

A quick reminder, anything written in **bold** that is not specifically the title of the current chapter, should be taken as text written on a page.

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**Schwäne Zwei**

**Chapter 3: Two Swans**

.

A sunset-like fire painted the mountains of Kinkan. In the forest on the kingdom's eastern border, at an abandoned lakeside castle, the animals were strangely silent as night fell.

**At a lake by an abandoned keep within the mountain ranges that bordered Kinkan, there were two swans.**

**Much like the princes of Kinkan, one swan was white and one black.**

The graceful swans alighted in the shallows of the lake's westernmost edge. They waited patiently as the moonlight spread across the surface of the lake. The pale fingers of silver light reflected first on the glossy feathers of the black swan, then brushed over the soft curve of the white swan's plumage.

In a rush of magic unseen by normal men, the waters of the lake swirled up around the swans, cocooning them in moonlight and sparkling water.

**But when the swans were bathed in moonlight on the surface of this lake...**

**Two cursed princesses regained their human forms.**

**But only as long as the moon hung in the sky.**

When the magic receded, two women stood in the shallow water that soaked the hems of their elegant gowns.

The slightly taller of the two was dressed entirely in shades of gold, the wide skirt of the dress bobbed slightly on the water's surface. Every inch of her skin below the neck was covered. Her shoulders covered with a sheer golden material that tucked into a darker corset. Blue gems were fastened at the neck and waistline, and her delicate fingers peeked out from beneath long full sleeves cut to resemble a bird's wings. She turned her head, this way and that, long pink hair making a sliding sound over expensive fabric while deep-set eyes the same blue as the lake's water scanned the shoreline.

The woman beside her was as dark as the other was light. Her fitted gown was made in shades of black and dipped into the water i n a mermaid silhouette. Trailing open sleeves stopped just short of brushing the water themselves, echoing a significantly different but no less bird-like wing design. Her shoulders were exposed by a low ruby red trimmed neckline that echoed her sash and worried crimson eyes that watched the shoreline with concern no less evident than that of the pink-haired woman's. She brushed olive-toned fingers through walnut brown waves of hair as she focused on the woman standing next to her in the ankle-deep water.

"Sister!" She almost hissed the words, as if afraid of being overhead in this desolate and abandoned place. "Ahiru!"

Blue eyes turned to catch crimson, and the dark woman reached instinctively for the golden girl's hands.

"He's not here yet." She pulled both of the other girl's hands up between them and leaned in close. "Listen, Ahiru."

For her part, Ahiru moved in closer, making surprisingly little noise in the water, and nodded intently.

"You hurry away and see if you can find help." The dark woman's eyebrows knit together, torn between fear at sending her sister and only companion from her side, and desperation to find a solution. She took a deep breath and steeled herself against her own fear. "I'll deal with him tonight."

Ahiru gripped her sister's fingers tightly at this, and started to say something when the sound of steps against stone echoed off the crumbling walls of the ruined keep.

She released Ahiru's hands in a fluttering motion that attempted to shoo the other woman into motion. "Hurry! I can hear him coming!"

To her credit, Ahiru narrowed her blue eyes in determination rather than fear. "Don't worry Rue. We can beat this. I know it." She then turned, lifting her skirts and started at a sprint out of the water. She seemed practiced at this, slipping easily from the wet shoreline onto the game trails between bushes, not so much as snagging the hem of her trailing sleeves as she slipped into the swiftly darkening forest.

Rue stepped delicately out of the water onto a marble walkway that once upon a time must have led to an ornate dock. It was hard to be certain though. Much of the delicate stonework had been worn smooth by time and nature, and the end of the path crumbled in a cascade of broken marble into the water. A dead and broken castle and a path that could never be trod again. She prayed that it wasn't an omen as she listened to the echoing steps grow closer.

She didn't turn when the dark cloaked figure stepped out of the shadowy doorway of the ruins and onto the crumbling marble dock next to her.

"Now, now, wherever is your sister off to in such a hurry?"

Rue narrowed her eyes, and cursed that she only had a false name, a name from a children's fairy tale for their captor. As a magician, his true name must have held power, power she could have turned against him. If only she had known it. "Away from you, Rothbart."

"So unsociable princess." The vile man moved closer to her as he spoke. She could feel his presence become larger, a warmth almost touching her bare shoulder. "Although it is endearing. The way you have yet to give up hope-"

Rue almost swore she could hear a second voice echo his next word, "Princess."

-.-.-

In his darkened study, it was all Autor could do not to drop the quill.

"...Rue."

He grasped his head in his hands trying to process it.

Fakir had handled Rue and Mytho's story himself. They should be having their happily ever after in Mytho's kingdom now. She should be happy. Had he seen some similarity to Rue in a vague description? Had he torn her out of her happy ending and put her in that dark keep with that cloaked man holding her captive? Surely not.

But if he hadn't, why then had Fakir put her there? Didn't Fakir say he had forgiven Rue for acting as the Raven Princess five years ago? He wouldn't have punished her like this. Would he? Had he forgiven her because he had personally sentenced her to this hell five years ago?

These were questions Fakir could no longer answer for him.

.

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Dun. Dun. DUNNNNN.


End file.
